Biking to the library in the summer is one of my fondest childhood memories. I was an only child, and books were my best companion on warm summer nights, road trips and family vacations.
That love of reading continues with me today. I never travel on a vacation without a book, and I love to spend sunny mornings and long nights with a good read. Looking for a book or two to enjoy on your summer getaways? These are a few from my summer reading list.
- “How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question” by Michael Shur: The writer is the creator of my two favorite comedies: “Parks & Recreation” and “The Good Place.” The latter humorously wrestled with questions of philosophy and ethics. In this book, Shur explores those same topics with similar wit and skill. Hopefully, the guarantee of perfection isn’t an oversell.
- “Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel: Have you seen the HBO Max miniseries “Station Eleven”? It is based on a book by Mandel. “Sea of Tranquility,” her newest creation, is praised as a “novel of art, time, love and plague.” I can’t wait to read it.
- “Please Don’t Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes” by Phoebe Robinson: Written during the height of the pandemic, this short-essay collection is funny and thought-provoking. A comedian and entrepreneur, Robinson covers everything from quarantining with her boyfriend to performative allyship to “What Warren Buffet Should’ve Told Ya” about business. I’m interested in this book for the laughs as much as the insights from a successful Black woman business leader.
- “Leadership In Turbulent Times” by Doris Kearns Goodwin: Kearns Goodwin is one of the best presidential biographers of her time. This book focuses on four presidents — Lincoln, Johnson and both Roosevelts — and how they became the masterful leaders we now know. This is on my list as part of my personal continuing education and journey in leadership.
I’d love to hear what books are in your summer stack. Drop me a note at CEO@aaawa.com.
– Heather Snavely, President and CEO, AAA Washington
– This article appears in the Summer 2022 edition of AAA Washington’s member magazine, Journey.
